Local computer experts are urging people to be careful as ransomware known as "WannaCry" has now been detected in150 countries, including the United States.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 6:20 PM CDT May 15, 2017

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT LIVE IN THENEWSROOM.REPORTER: JULIE, ROB THIS CYBERATTACK IS NOW SPANNING SIXCONTINENTS AND 150 COUNTRIES.THE FEAR IS IT WILL CONTINUE TOSPREAD, BUT THERE ARE SOMESIMPLE THINGS WE CAN ALL DO TOKEEP OUR COMPUTERS MORE SECURE>> THESE COULD BE WANNA CRY.REPORTER: AS CHIEF INFORMATIONSECURITY OFFICER AT UNO MATTMORTON IS CLOSELY TRACKING THESO CALLED 'WANACRY' RANSOMWARE.>> WE KNOW IT'S HAPPENING IN THEREST OF THE WORLD AND WE KNOWTHAT IT COULD COME AND SPREATHIS WAY TOO, SO WE NEED TO BEPREPARED.REPORTER: THESE BLUE DOTSHIGHLIGHTING PLACES HIT.ACCORDING TO MORTON, A FEWTHOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE U.S., FEDEX THE ONLY CORPORATION TOREPORT IT SO FAR.HACKERS, DEMANDING MONEY TOUNLOCK CRITICAL FILES. THIS MESSAGE POPPING UP PAY UPIN BITCOINS ABOUT $300 OR THEFILES DISAPPEAR.THE VIRUS LIKELY COMING THROUGHEMAIL LINKS AND POP UP ADS.>> IT'S CALLED A DRIVE-BYDOWNLOAD.MEANING THEY'VE KIND OFACCIDENTALLY STUMBLED ACROSS THESITE AND AS A RESULT ITDOWNLOADS IN THE BACKGROUND.>> IF YOU OWN ANY SORT OFDIGITAL DEVICE THAT CONNECTS TOTHE INTERNET YOU'RE GOING TOWANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.REPORTER: ROBERT VANDERVEEN OWNS'SPECIAL TOUCH COMPUTER REPAIR'IN OMAHA.HE HASN'T DEALT WITH THISSPECIFIC RANSOMWEAR, BUT HASSEEN OTHERS IN THE PAST. >> TO BE PROTECTED ALWAYS ALWAYSBE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE.REPORTER: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOUCLICK AND BACK UP YOUR FILES ONA HARD DRIVE.HAVE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE ANDWHEN YOUR OPERATING SYSEM ORSOFTWARE ASKS TO RUN AN UPDATE,DO IT.MICROSFT ISSUED WHAT'S CALLED APATCH TO PREVENT TO THE MALWAREA COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BUT MANYDIDN'T INSTALL IT.>> KEEPING UP TO DATE ON THATAND HAVING AUTOMATIC UPDATES ISCRITICAL.REPORTER: ADVICE MORTON SAYSANYBODY WITH A COMPUTER SHOULDPAY ATTENTION TO.BECAUSE SOME THINGS CAN'T BEREPLACED.>> AN OPERATING SYSTEM CAN BERE-INSTALLED, RIGHT?BUT YOU CAN'T RECOVER PICTURESOF YOUR CHILDREN WHEN THEY WERESIX.REPORTER: IF YOU DO GET THEWANNACRY VIRUS, YOU'LL LIKE NEEDA NEW OPERATING SYSTEM.YOU SHOULD NOT SEND ANY MONEY.INSTEAD EXPERTS SAY REPORT IT,WE HAVE INFORMATION ON HOW YOUCAN DO THAT AT KETV.COM.JULIE: JAMES I KNOW YOU ALSOWERE LOOKING INTO ANY TYPE OFMILITARY RESPONSE, WHAT DID YOUFIND OUT ON THAT FRONT?REPORTER: JULIE I DID CHECK WITHOFFICIALS AT OFFUTT AIR FORCEBASE, THEY HAVE THE U.S.STRATEGIC COMMAND UNIT, REPSTOLD ME THEY'RE MONITORING THESITUATION, BUT NOT ACTIVELYINVESTIGATING, BECAUSE RIGHT NOWTHERE ISN'T A THREAT TO THEDEFENSE DEPARTMENT.

Cyberattack raises concern about computer security

Local computer experts are urging people to be careful as ransomware known as "WannaCry" has now been detected in150 countries, including the United States.

Local computer experts are urging people to be careful as ransomware known as "WannaCry" has now been detected across six continents and 150 countries, including the United States.

Matt Morton,Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Nebraska Omaha, has been closely watching the "WannaCry" virus.

Advertisement

"We know it's happening in the rest of the world, and we know that it could come and spread this way too so we need to be prepared," Morton said.

He said the personal computers of a few thousand people in the U.S. have already been infected. FedEx is the only U.S. corporation to report being hacked.

The hackers demand money to unlock critical files. It's believed the ransomware is spread through email links and pop-up ads.

"It's called a drive-by download, meaning they've kind of accidentally stumbled across the site and as a result it downloads in the background," Morton explained.

"If you own any sort of digital device that connects to the internet you're going to want to pay attention to this," said Robert Vanderveen.

Owner of Special Touch Computer Repair in Omaha, Vanderveen hasn't dealt with the "WannaCry" ransomware, but has seen similar viruses in the past.

"To be protected always be proactive versus reactive," he said.

There are simple things to do to keep your computer protected. Always be careful about what you click, back up your files on an external hard drive, have antivirus software, and when your operating system or software asks to run an update you should do it.

Microsoft issued what's called a patch to prevent the malware a couple of months ago, but many people didn't install it.

"Keeping up to date on that and having automatic updates is critical," Morton asserted. "An operating system can be reinstalled, but you can't recover pictures of your children from when they were six."

Experts say you should not pay the hackers.

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team provides general advice on how to best protect against ransomware and provides indicators associated with "WannaCry."

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI encourage anyone impacted to contact the DHS National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at 1-888-282-0870, the FBI through a local field office or the FBI’s Cyber Division at 1-855-292-3937, or report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.